Firhill Stadium
Encyclopedia
Firhill Stadium or Firhill Arena (also previously known as Firhill Park, but commonly referred to as simply Firhill) is a football, rugby union
and rugby league
stadium located in the Maryhill
area of Glasgow
, Scotland
. As of 2010 it is the home ground of football club Partick Thistle F.C.
and the Glasgow Warriors
rugby union team.
Past ground-sharing agreements have also seen Firhill act as a temporary home for two more football clubs, Clyde
and Hamilton Academical
. It was also a venue for the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
.
.
Firhill hosted the first European Cup match ever to be held in Glasgow, When Djurgården of Sweden played their "Home" match at the Stadium against Hibernian
in 1955. The Swedish team played at Firhill because of the freezing conditions in Sweden at the time of the match.
, when they moved from their previous base at Hughenden Stadium
. After returning to Hughenden in 2006, the Warriors took up a two-year residency at Firhill from the start of the 2007–08 Celtic League season. This was extended in April 2009 for a further five years.
.
The modern stadium comprises three seated stands, with an unused area at the south end. There are no standing spectator areas.
The current capacity of the ground includes 10,887 seats with no standing available.
The Main Stand (the first to be constructed at Firhill in 1927) was built with an original capacity of 6,000, but now holds somewhere closer in the region of 2,900 seats. There is a small enclosure of terracing at the front of the stand. In January 2006, the club announced that the Main Stand would no longer be used on matchdays due to high maintenance and stewarding costs. There have been exceptions, however, including the Scottish Cup
match against Rangers
and the final match of the league season against Greenock Morton. On both occasions away fans were seated in the North Stand and the Main Stand. Also when Glasgow Warriors play derby matches against Edinburgh, the main stand is typically used.
All home fans are now housed in the stand opposite the old stand, the Jackie Husband Stand. This is an impressive large cantilever stand which was built on the site of a huge section of enclosed terracing nicknamed "the Shed" by supporters of Partick Thistle. The stand was constructed in 1994 with a capacity of 6,263 and is named after former Thistle player Jackie Husband
.
The newest stand is the North Stand, at one end of the ground. This was built in 2002 to meet the Scottish Premier League
criteria on stadium capacity, which stated at the time that member clubs must have 10,000 seats in their ground. Ironically this criterion was changed at a later date to only 6,000 seats, which not only allowed for the relegation of Partick Thistle, but meant they had spent much of their resources on a stand that under new regulations was unnecessary.
Originally, the stand only ran for two thirds the length of the pitch. It was extended in 2003 so that it ran the full length of the pitch with a capacity of 2,014. It replaced a large bank of terracing. The construction of this stand was assisted by the sale of some land to allow the construction of student flats which now lie behind the stand.
in 1922 when 49,838 people attended. The overall ground record, however, was for the 1926 Scotland v Ireland international when around 55,000 people attended.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
stadium located in the Maryhill
Maryhill
Maryhill is an area of the City of Glasgow in Scotland. Maryhill is a former burgh. The population of Maryhill is about 52,000. Maryhill stretches over along Maryhill Road...
area of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. As of 2010 it is the home ground of football club Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
and the Glasgow Warriors
Glasgow Warriors
The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...
rugby union team.
Past ground-sharing agreements have also seen Firhill act as a temporary home for two more football clubs, Clyde
Clyde F.C.
Clyde Football Club are a Scottish professional football team currently playing in the Third Division of the Scottish Football League. Although based for the last fifteen years in the new town of Cumbernauld, they are traditionally associated with an area that covers Rutherglen in South...
and Hamilton Academical
Hamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...
. It was also a venue for the 2000 Rugby League World Cup
2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
.
Football
Firhill has been home to Partick Thistle since 1909, who had been forced to vacate their previous home at Meadowside a year earlier. The present main stand was constructed in 1927, a year before the ground hosted its only full international fixture to date, against IrelandIreland national football team (IFA)
The Ireland national football team represented Ireland at association football, it was organised by the Irish FA , and is the fourth oldest international team in the world. It mainly played in the British Home Championship against England, Scotland and Wales...
.
Firhill hosted the first European Cup match ever to be held in Glasgow, When Djurgården of Sweden played their "Home" match at the Stadium against Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
in 1955. The Swedish team played at Firhill because of the freezing conditions in Sweden at the time of the match.
Rugby Union
In December 2005 Firhill also became the home of Glasgow's professional rugby union team, Glasgow WarriorsGlasgow Warriors
The Glasgow Warriors, formerly Glasgow Rugby, are one of two professional rugby union teams in Scotland, Edinburgh being the other. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12 and their home ground is Firhill Stadium, also the home of Partick Thistle Football Club.-History:Glasgow Rugby were created to...
, when they moved from their previous base at Hughenden Stadium
Hughenden Stadium
Hughenden Stadium is a rugby stadium in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the home ground of Hillhead Jordanhill RFC. During the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons, the Glasgow Warriors played their home games at the ground.- History :...
. After returning to Hughenden in 2006, the Warriors took up a two-year residency at Firhill from the start of the 2007–08 Celtic League season. This was extended in April 2009 for a further five years.
Rugby League
In 1996, Firhill was the site of the Scottish national rugby league team's first game on home soil, a victory over their Irish counterparts. Rugby league, very much a minority sport in Scotland, has returned to the ground on several occasions since, including for the 2000 World Cup2000 Rugby League World Cup
The 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
.
Structures
The current capacity of the ground includes 10,887 seats with no standing available.
Main Stand
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
match against Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and the final match of the league season against Greenock Morton. On both occasions away fans were seated in the North Stand and the Main Stand. Also when Glasgow Warriors play derby matches against Edinburgh, the main stand is typically used.
Jackie Husband Stand
Jackie Husband
Jackie Husband was a Scottish internationalist professional association footballer and manager.-Partick Thistle:He signed for Partick Thistle in 1938 and, apart from a brief spell as manager of Queen of the South, spent the rest of his adult life there. He was a centre back and is generally...
.
North Stand
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
criteria on stadium capacity, which stated at the time that member clubs must have 10,000 seats in their ground. Ironically this criterion was changed at a later date to only 6,000 seats, which not only allowed for the relegation of Partick Thistle, but meant they had spent much of their resources on a stand that under new regulations was unnecessary.
Originally, the stand only ran for two thirds the length of the pitch. It was extended in 2003 so that it ran the full length of the pitch with a capacity of 2,014. It replaced a large bank of terracing. The construction of this stand was assisted by the sale of some land to allow the construction of student flats which now lie behind the stand.
City End
Thistle had announced plans to replace the disused terracing at the south end of the ground, commonly known as the "City End" with a new structure that would consist of a 1,000-seat stand as well as residential and office accommodation. However, planning permission from Glasgow City Council was not forthcoming,. Planning for a new development is ongoing. The grassy bank at the City End has come to be known by the fans as "The Bing".Record attendances
The record attendance for a Partick Thistle game at Firhill was set against RangersRangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in 1922 when 49,838 people attended. The overall ground record, however, was for the 1926 Scotland v Ireland international when around 55,000 people attended.